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Take a look into the mirror. Do you see that person looking back at you? That face that's so familiar, the one that you've watched and known from the time you can remember... it may be the face of your greatest opponent. Why? Because the flesh of man (yes that includes "man" and wo"man") loves to glory in itself. It likes to have praises heaped upon itself... and, if left unchecked, it will seek out every opportunity to receive praise, recognition, and admiration. That's right! That mug looking right back at you will do all of that... if it's allowed to.

Jerimiah speaks a little bit about this in his main book. He talks about prophets of the time engaging in the act of prophesying things from their own hearts and not from God (Jer. 23:16-17). Why? Because they wanted recognition as being men of God... but also wanted to prophesy fair things to receive the praises of the king and the people. If I could give one word of advice to people just starting out in the ministry it would be this: Get over yourself! It's not about you, it never has been... it never will be! Get used to it! :)

Okay, my apologies if I sound harsh, but the truth is that this is a really seductive trap that many well-intentioned people, especially ministers, fall into. It's something that you really have to watch out for. You may find yourself doing something for the glory of God one moment... and for the glory of your flesh the next minute if you are not careful! Remember, the human heart is deceitful above all things (Jer. 17:9), some much so that it's hard for even ourselves to know our own sometimes. Only the presence of the Holy Ghost within us and our unrelenting focus on God can keep our perspective straight and our hearts and lives in tune with His will.

Now, to underscore this remember that even the apostle Paul who wrote most of the books in our New Testament was succeptable to this. As he admitted in his epistles God left him with some issue he referred to as a "thorn in the flesh" to make sure that he didn't fall prey to this and be lifted up himself without measure(2Cor. 12:7).

So don't let yourself get in your way of being a servant of the Most High. Our example, Jesus Christ, was God manifested in the flesh and yet He didn't let the man in the mirror, the flesh, get in the way of Him doing His father's will. He that loves his own life shall lose it but he that regards not his own life on earth shall gain it(John 12:25). The best laid plans of men come to naught, but the word of the Lord will not return void(Isa. 55:11).

People who minister for themselves instead of God end up causing division rather than unity. For how can we unify to meet the divergent aims of individual men? It's impossible. We must unify to meet the common task of God, that is to be His laborers to reap His harvest unto Him.

Make sense? So next time you look in the mirror, speak to the man/woman facing you and say: "Jesus is my master and I don't work for you anymore!"

God bless.